Method of manufacturing vitreous-enameled cast-metal apron bath-tubs.



w. CLMcKlNNEY.

NG VI TREOUS ENAMELED CAST METAL APRON BATH TUBS APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17,1916.

METHOD OF MANUFACTUR! Patented Oct. :2, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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INVENTOR WITNESSES 0 Git 4% W C. MCKINNEY. METHOD OF MANUFACTURING VITREOUS ENAMELED CAST METAL APRON BATH TUBS. APPUCATION FILED JAM. l7. I916.

1,282,255, Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

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WITNESSES D STATES rA a WILLIAM c. mexrNN'nx, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR To STANDARD SANITARY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented not. 22, rate.

Application filed Ianhary W, 1918. Serial No. 72,506.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WiLLIAM C. MoKnF NEY, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania,

' Tubs, of which improvements a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Manufacturing Vitreous-Enameled Cast-Metal Apron Baththe following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of vitreous-enameled cast-metal bath tubs having inclosing aprons.

Bath tubs of this character are illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings, of which Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of tub, Figs. 2, 3 and 4 sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines IL-ll, TIL-Ill, and llVlV, Fig. 1; Figs. 5 and 6 perspective views of two diflerent shapes of bathtubs illustrating in modified forms a feature of my invention; and Figs. 7 and 8 sectional views taken, respectively, on the general planes indicated by the lines VII-VII and VIHVIII, Figs. 5 and 6..

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 4, inclusive,

' it will be seen that such tubs consist of a difiiculty.

body portion 1 and an apron 2 which ex;

tends from the rim of the'body to the floor and incloses the exterior of the body. The

objects of suchapron are twofold, first to prevent unsanitary accumulations beneath and back of the tub, and secondly, to improve the appearance of the tub. Of these two objects the second isthe more important, although in providing apron bathtubs it is very desirable to effectively accomplish the first. Aside from sanitary considerations, aprons do not render bathtubs more suitable or eflective for ftheirintended purp'o'se, nor do they cheapen the cost of manufacture, or facilitate the instale lations, of the tubs. On the contrary, the cost of manufacture of apron bathtubs is substantially greater than that of the usual exposed bathtubs, and their installation is usually attended with considerable more- .However, because apron bath substantially better appearancetubs have a V p I than exposed bathtubs, there 18 8. demand tain such a tight-fitting connection between.

the apron integrally sons,

for them on the part of those who, in furmshing bathrooms, give consideration to the esthetic as well as the utilitarian properties of the fixtures. Accordingly, one of the problems which the manufacturer or producer must meet is the provision of bathtubs which combine utility with appearance. Depending upon whether the tub is to be installed in a bathroom recess, in a corner of the bathroom, or against one wall thereof, the apron extends, respectively, along one side, one s1de and one end, or one slde and both ends. The drawings show corner bathtubs having aprons extending along the front sides and right ends, the rims at-the rear sides and left ends extending horizontally andbeing adapted to be built into the tile walls of bathrooms.

As heretofore manufactured, apron bathtubs have either been cast in separate pieces, the body portion forming one part and the apron the other part or parts, such parts being fitted together, or the entire tub (body and apron) has been cast integrally. With respect to the first, there are several ob-' jectionable features. In the first place the parts must be enameled separately. for thev cannot be so securely fitted together as to be enameled when assembled. and to thereafter prevent the enamel from breaking at the joint. This manifestly increases materially the manufacturing cost of the tub. Secondly, it is practically impossible to obthe body and apron as to exclude unsanitary accumulations; and, ;as already 'explained, one of the purposes of an apron is to eliminate the unsanitary condition caused by the accumulations beneath and back of the tub. Finally, theappearance of a tub formed in separate parts bolted together is far less pleasmg thanth'at of a tub having uninterrupted enameled surface.

With respect to the second manner of manufacturing apron tubs, that is, casting with the body, other difliculties arise whlch make this practice expensive and unsatisfactory for other rea- The castingof even the usual wellknown forin of tubs, having an outstanding tubs having inwardly fluted inclosing terior of. the apron with a coating of vitreaprons, which consists in casting separately 'ous the bodyportion and inwardly fluted apron enamel. 10

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set portion of the tub, the body portion having my hand.

a laterally extending rim, butt-welding the WILLIAM C. MCKINNEY. upper edge of the inwardly fluted apron to Witnesses:

the edge of such rim, and when thus united PAUL N. Cnrromnw,

covering the interior of the body and the ex- ANNA E. BAXTEB. 

